


playing for keeps

by wandr



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Rivalry, Teen Rom-Com, seungcheol is the assistant coach, shenanigans ensue, side junhoon, soonwoo are in the same high school soccer team, soonyoung has a crush on him and attempts to confess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-12 02:07:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19938352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wandr/pseuds/wandr
Summary: There are few things Kwon Soonyoung isn’t good at. He’s one of the best players on his high school soccer team, consistently excels in his studies, and even led the debating club to victory in last year’s state championships. But among those few things is a particular thorn that jabs his side, and it haunts him to no end: in all that he does, Soonyoung always, always places second to Jeon Wonwoo.(Prompt #23: High school AU. Soonyoung drops a confession letter into what he believes to be Seungcheol’s locker; it turns out to be the locker of his long-time rival, Wonwoo.)





	playing for keeps

**Author's Note:**

> so, here we are! welcome to my submission (or part one, anyway) for suite 1517: whimsical seasons, a soonwoo minibang. this's just a sweet lil teen rom-com au i've been wanting to write since 2017, but Life happens and even now i still haven't been able to finish on time (really sorry). i'll do my best to release part 2 and 3 ASAP. a massive, MASSIVE thank you to the lovely and talented [bhavna](https://twitter.com/kidovna) who i was lucky enough to have had as my artist for this story. thank you bhavna for taking the time to create your beautiful art (look at it!!! look at her TALENT), as well as listen to my deadline freakouts, bless u! anyway, hope you all enjoy the story and be sure to check out the other amazing fics published for suite 1517! (and side note: took the fic's title from a movie i've never watched, so if you have watched it there's no relation between the storylines lol!)

There are few things Kwon Soonyoung isn’t good at. He’s one of the best players on his high school soccer team, consistently excels in his studies, and even led the debating club to victory in last year’s state championships. He’s smart, athletic, charismatic; the subject of adoration by his teachers and envy by his peers. And honestly? He revels in it. 

There are few things Soonyoung isn’t good at, and he knows it. But among those few things is a particular thorn that jabs his side, and it haunts him to no end: in all that he does, Soonyoung always, _always_ places second to Jeon Wonwoo. 

Soonyoung gasps, clutching his soccer ball to his chest. “Is that Seungcheol at Wonwoo’s locker?” It isn’t even first period and Wonwoo has already proven himself to be the bane of Soonyoung’s existence. 

He stops walking suddenly, the morning rush of students shoving past him and down the corridor. Jihoon almost trips over him because of it; his friend shoots him a glare. 

Jihoon peers across the corridor from a now-fuming Soonyoung to where a tall, brown-haired guy is chatting with a slightly younger student with wavy black hair. “Yeah, he is. And what?” 

“And what?!” Soonyoung splutters, turning to Jihoon in complete offence. “Wonwoo’s talking to Seungcheol. _Seungcheol_. ‘Hot as hell, but super sweet Seungcheol'. _Guy I’ve_ _liked since the start of junior year_ Seungcheol. That’s two whole months of intense crushing!” Soonyoung sighs, relaxing his vice-like grip on the ball. “I feel like I’m friends with a wall sometimes. Are you even listening to me when I’m talking to you?” 

Jihoon rolls his eyes. “Unfortunately, yes. But, and I repeat: and what?” Jihoon elbows Soonyoung to keep walking forward; there’s no way he’s letting Soonyoung’s nuclear crush crisis make him late for English class. “For one, their lockers are literally next to each other. Like, _right beside_ each other. Which you’ve already complained about; on numerous occasions, actually. And two,” he raises two fingers to punctuate as he stops at his locker, “Wonwoo’s your team captain, Seungcheol’s your assistant coach. No shit they talk a lot. You said they’re talking all the time at softball training.”

“ _Soccer_ training. You really don’t listen, huh?”

Jihoon shrugs, entering his locker combination. “At one of the many extracurriculars your overcommitting ass does, then. Why do you even stay on the team? You spend the whole time arguing with Wonwoo, then the next day complaining to us about it at debating prac.” There’s a _plunk_ as Jihoon drops his books into his locker. “The only good thing coming from that team’s that chiselled dumbass friend of yours.”  
  
Soonyoung snorts as he smacks open his own locker. “It’s Wonwoo’s own fault for the complaints. _He’s_ the one always picking dumb fights.” He dumps his soccer ball on top of his books. “And— hey, that _chiselled dumbass friend_ of mine likes you too. Jun would date you in an _instant_ if you’d let him.” 

It’s Jihoon’s turn to let out a snort. “It’s about the thrill of the chase, you see,'' he says as he slaps his locker shut. Soonyoung finds this questionable— it’s less of a chase and more of Jun koala-clinging to Jihoon whenever he’s near. “A bit of push and pull. Who doesn’t love a slow burn? I’m sure you get it, with this six-year thing you’ve got going on with Wonwoo. Can’t believe you were friends once upon a time.”

Soonyoung dry-heaves at that as he shuts his locker, before glancing diagonally to Seungcheol’s locker a couple of metres across. Wonwoo and Seungcheol are still talking— about something hilarious, apparently, because Seungcheol laughs out of nowhere as he runs a hand through his hair like the damn cute guy he is. The damn cute sweet guy. 

The damn cute sweet guy who’s laughing at Wonwoo’s jokes. Soonyoung chews his lip. 

He doesn’t realise Jihoon’s talking to him again until he feels his friend tugging his arm. “C’mon, dumbass. If another one of your self-pity parties makes us late for class I’m getting aux cord privileges for the next month; I refuse to listen to any more of your Taylor Swift.” 

***

_5th Grade; March_

Frost glazes a bedroom window as _You Belong With Me_ blares from Soonyoung’s iPod, Soonyoung singing into it like a mic as he spins across Wonwoo’s room. His best friend lies on his bed reading a comic, glancing up amusedly when Soonyoung begins screeching the chorus. 

_“If you can see that I'm the one who understands you— Been here all along so why can't you see— e— e—“_

Soonyoung shoves the iPod into Wonwoo’s face for the next lines. Wonwoo pushes it away at first, but Soonyoung’s enthusiasm is too contagious; it’s always enough to pull Wonwoo out of his shell. He always gives in.

“ _You belong with me!_ ” 

*** 

As soon as Soonyoung enters English class, he scoffs. Jihoon looks to the back of the classroom to whatever’s pissed his friend off. 

There's excitement tangible in the air, tension and gasps and whoops sounding across the room. Every student’s out of their seats, with all focus on one spot, one figure. Even though Soonyoung can barely see through the crowd, he already knows; it’s Wonwoo, and he's juggling a soccer ball in class again like the show off that he is. As Soonyoung pushes forward he watches him bounce the ball expertly from foot to foot, Wonwoo grinning widely at the chorus of cheers that he receives with each kick. 

Well. Someone’s really feeling themselves today, huh? Soonyoung wrinkles his nose. 

Wonwoo’s up to sixty-something when Soonyoung strides to the desk nearest to the crowd, dragging a metal chair across the ground with a screech loud enough for Wonwoo to glance over at him. It's enough to break Wonwoo’s concentration— the next time the ball hits Wonwoo’s foot, it lands on an angle that sends it flying across the room towards the teacher’s desk. Good thing their teacher’s late, because the ball thwacks a pile of papers off the edge of the table, scattering them all across the classroom floor. 

Wonwoo’s once-excited crowd look to each other in horror. They scamper to their desks. 

Whoops?

“What the hell, Soonyoung?” Wonwoo’s nostrils flare, and Soonyoung swears he can almost see steam coming out of them as the wavy-haired boy watches dozens of pieces of white paper float sadly to the ground. Soonyoung holds in a laugh. Wonwoo runs his fingers through his hair. 

“What? All I did was sit,” Soonyoung says sweetly, unpacking his book and pens. “Hope your handling’s better than that for the finals; there’s less than two weeks until the big game. Remember?” 

“That was intentional and you know it," Wonwoo scoffs. "And that’s _ridiculous._ There’s a reason I’m captain and _you_ aren’t. My ball control’s the best on our team.”

There’s a gust of wind from the open window, and it blows the papers around. Soonyoung cackles at the pained look Wonwoo tries to hold back.

“Believe me, the only _Messi_ thing about you is those spilt papers. Better clean that up before class starts, hun.” 

Wonwoo doesn’t even acknowledge Soonyoung’s (masterful) pun, striding past him to clear the mess on the floor. 

Soonyoung grins wide once Wonwoo’s attention is off him, watching the boy attempt to look nonchalant as he picks up the papers. Serves him right. Then, he jumps at a sharp cough from the person seated beside him. “ _Oh—_ Jihoon. I always forget you’re here.” 

Jihoon stares at Soonyoung with dead eyes, but he can’t even get a word in before Soonyoung’s attention is diverted again— this time, to the door. “Jihoon, oh my god, Jihoon—” Soonyoung grabs Jihoon’s shoulder. Jihoon promptly shrugs him away, but Soonyoung’s too entranced to care. “It’s Seungcheol.”

Soonyoung swears it’s like a rom-com whenever Seungcheol walks past, like time slows down and he's walking in slo-mo with a 90s hit playing in the background. He’s just wearing a white tee and joggers today, his backpack swung over one shoulder, but he still looks so effortlessly _good_. So _boyfriend._

Soonyoung catches Seungcheol's gaze as he passes the door, and Seungcheol’s face lights up instantly, smiling goofily and sending Soonyoung a wave.

Oh my god? Completely mortified, Soonyoung swears he feels all the blood in his body rush to his face.

How does anyone that perfect exist? It isn’t fair. Does he even realise how perfect he is? 

Soonyoung musters a small wave and a smile that he hopes looks relaxed in return as Seungcheol continues down the hallway. After he’s out of sight, Soonyoung swings to Jihoon. “Jihoon.”

“Soonyoung.”

“I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna confess to Seungcheol tomorrow.”

Soonyoung’s Grand Confession Plan is on his mind all through the rest of his school day, through studying at the library after school, and especially through soccer practise. At practise, he almost trips over Jun during drills while simultaneously devising the plan and staring at the back of Seungcheol’s head. Are cute heads a thing? Because Seungcheol certainly has one.

(Soonyoung tries to ignore the uneasy feeling in his stomach when he catches Wonwoo and Seungcheol talking quietly behind the change rooms after training, shrouded in the light of nearby street lamps. He looks away when Wonwoo reaches a hand to Seungcheol’s shoulder, turning to walk home through the dimly-lit street.)

So. The Grand Confession Plan will go something like this: tomorrow morning, Soonyoung will come to school early, around 7am, to slip a confession letter into Seungcheol’s locker. Soonyoung will scope the area first, but there shouldn’t be many people at school at that time. The locker’s just a few metres across the hallway diagonally from his, with a classroom nearby that Soonyoung can wait and watch from to gauge Seungcheol’s reaction. If Seungcheol’s reaction is positive, Soonyoung will see him later that afternoon at training, they’ll run up to each other, search each other's faces with That Rom-Com Look in their eyes, before kissing romantically in the rain (Soonyoung checked the forecast) to the cheers of the soccer team (and to Wonwoo’s snivelling, Soonyoung thinks with a smirk). Then they’ll start dating, become the school’s power couple, and live happily ever after. Simple. 

And if Seungcheol’s reaction is negative? Soonyoung just shakes that thought away.

Soonyoung stays up until 1am writing and rewriting the letter. For once, he doesn’t study, doesn’t practise mock debates, doesn’t work on his papers. The letter has to be _perfect._

When he’s finally satisfied, he signs his name at the bottom in cursive, folds it into a yellow envelope, then places it into his school bag before going to sleep. 

***

_5th Grade; Late March_

"So are you gonna miss me when you're in Korea?" 

Soonyoung wipes sweat off his forehead as he parks his bike against the tree in his front yard. Wonwoo does the same to his bike; it's a rusty red thing, a hand-me-down from an older cousin. 

Wonwoo stares at Soonyoung like he's an idiot. Soonyoung already knows the answer: of course Wonwoo will miss him. They've been best friends since Wonwoo's family moved into Soonyoung's street in 2nd grade, after all. They're practically brothers. Soonyoung just likes hearing it from Wonwoo himself. 

"Well duh, you're my only source of entertainment," Wonwoo replies dryly. He takes his glasses off to wipe the sweat off his nose. "I'm stuck at my grandma's for all of summer vacation and she doesn't even have a computer. I'm gonna die of boredom." 

"That's all?" Soonyoung crosses his arms and sticks his nose in the air as he walks towards his front door. "Hmph, I see how it is." Wonwoo laughs, running up to him to sling an arm across his shoulders. 

Soonyoung smiles, before spying the time on the clock on the table on his front porch. He curses under his breath. "Crap— I gotta meet Louis and the guys in front of the store in a couple minutes. They said if I'm late they're gonna leave without me." He shakes Wonwoo's arm from his shoulder and turns back to his bike.

Wonwoo's expression sours. "Louis? Why are you meeting him? All he does is skip school and steal stuff from the convenience store." 

"Because," Soonyoung begins, like it's the most obvious thing. "He's cool. And if I'm friends with him now, I'll be cool once we start middle school, too." He points a finger to his head. "Smart, as usual." 

Wonwoo rolls his eyes. "Dumb, as usual." He watches Soonyoung hop onto his bike. "Just don't be too stupid, okay?" 

Soonyoung grins, kicking up his bike's kickstand. "No guarantees." 

***

" _Perfect_."

Soonyoung is a meticulous person, and so naturally The Grand Confession Plan has thus far unfolded without a hitch. He spent half an hour that morning choosing his outfit, settling on a loose grey shirt, blue jeans and Timbs. Looking into the mirror, he’s feeling himself. He feels good about this. 

It’s 7am now and Soonyoung leans with his back against his locker, the letter in his hands. There’s no one else at school yet, save for the janitor and a few stray students with before school club meetings. Most people don’t arrive until 8am (with Seungcheol usually coming in a bit later; Soonyoung always tries to arrive at the same time to bump into him), so Soonyoung has time to compose himself. 

After doing a final check of the corridors, he walks towards Seungcheol’s locker. When he’s a metre away, he pauses, taking in a deep breath. 

Just one move. Just put the letter in. 

He steps forward. 

Now or never—

“Soonyoung!”

Soonyoung jumps and spins around. He hides the letter behind him, backing up against the lockers. 

When he looks up, it’s Mingyu, one of Soonyoung’s juniors from band last year. “Oh— Mingyu, hey…” 

Mingyu shoots Soonyoung a toothy grin. “Hi!" His voice shines when he speaks, like he’s perpetually excited. "Funny seeing you at school this early, huh? I mean I guess it makes sense, you’re in a lot of clubs, are you here for a meeting or something?” 

Soonyoung forces out a smile, feeling around for a slit in the locker behind him. “Um, no, just wanted to come in early and study. Maybe start researching college apps. You know, just normal, casual, student. Stuff. Uh—” 

Thankfully, Soonyoung never has to grasp for small talk around Mingyu— he’s a naturally chatty guy. “Oh, cool! I’m here for a rehearsal actually. I really wish you didn’t have to leave band. A real shame it clashed with all your soccer practise stuff this year." Mingyu pouts. "Still think you should’ve left the team to stay in band. But look, I get it, if I was on a team with _Jeon Wonwoo_ ," he punctuates with a wink, "I wouldn't want to leave either. Hey, what’s that you’re holding behind you?” 

Soonyoung hastily slips the letter into the first slit he feels. Relief overcomes his body. “Huh, what? What do you mean what am I holding? Holding nothing, nope, nothing at all.” Thinking quick, he pulls a tissue out of his back pocket. “Was just holding a tissue. Bad hay fever, you know.” 

Mingyu cocks an eyebrow. “Hay fever in October?” 

Soonyoung crosses his arms. “Don’t allergy-shame me. Hey, I think I can hear Mrs Thompson? Don’t think she’d be too happy if you were late to rehearsals, especially after she yelled at Seokmin for doing the same thing last year.” 

Mingyu lets out a horrified face, before turning to jog away. “Really? Thanks Soonyoung, you’re the best— sorry we didn’t get to catch up, hope your hay fever clears up—”

Once Mingyu has turned the corner and is out of sight, Soonyoung lets out a big exhale. That was a close call. 

Now that that’s over, it’s all a matter of waiting and watching. Soonyoung turns back to the locker and gives it a triumphant pat. Easy. He reaches to put a red sticker at the top of the locker— that way, even when the corridor is bursting with students he won’t lose track of which locker to keep his eyes on. 

Time passes too slowly as students start trickling in, Soonyoung sitting in an empty classroom with a clear view through the door to the locker. He passes the time envisioning future dates— they’ll go to the movies, of course, then karaoke, the beach, be voted prom kings… 

Soonyoung feels a buzz from his pocket. 

**_Jihoon_ **| You told me to message once I got to school. So?

 ** _Soonyoung_ **| !!! come to room 216 asap. operation shakespeare is a go and i’m On My Way to snagging my man 

**_Jihoon_ **| … You’re not kidnapping him, right? 

**_Soonyoung_ **| [gif] 

Soonyoung’s just finished sending Jihoon a gif of an unimpressed face when his friend walks into the room. 

“Jihoon, who’s the man?” Soonyoung asks. His friend seats himself on the desk next to him, pulling out his phone and definitely not acknowledging Soonyoung’s question. “If you answered _I'm the man_ , you are correct. The man with the plan who will soon be a man with a man. I promise you won’t third wheel on our dates; I’ll invite Jun to everything so you guys can smush faces too.” 

Jihoon grumbles something indiscernible at that before speaking more clearly. “Aren’t you celebrating a bit early? You don’t even know if Seungcheol will accept your confession yet.” 

Soonyoung rolls his eyes. “Ever the negative nancy. Trust me Jihoon, the second I put my letter into that locker,” he says, pointing to the red-stickered locker across the doorway, “I just _knew_ I’d be dating its owner. I got this feeling, I can’t even explain it.” 

“Hm?”

Still pointing, Soonyoung doesn’t pay attention to Jihoon’s quirked eyebrow. 

“Trust me. I _know_ this is gonna happen, I—”

“... Two… three… four…?”

“Are you even listening to me?” Soonyoung huffs. “What are you counting?” 

“A feeling, huh,” Jihoon says to himself. “Well, you might want to recheck your feelings, because that locker is not Seungcheol’s.”

“Huh?” Soonyoung furrows his eyebrows. “What do you mean? That’s definitely Seungcheol’s locker, I counted it out before I put the letter in today.” 

“Well, then something happened, because Seungcheol’s locker is the fifth one from the right. The one you stickered, the fourth from the right, belongs to—”

Soonyoung furrows his brows and spins around, looking past the students now flowing down the corridor to count out the lockers as well. “Three… four...” He tilts his head. “No... That can’t be right, I definitely counted it out before Mingyu—”

Mingyu!

When Soonyoung spun around... perhaps he moved over just a bit too much? 

But then? 

“But then whose locker did I…” Soonyoung’s eyes widen all at once. Lead dripping into his stomach, he jumps and rushes to the doorway. 

“A feeling, huh?” Jihoon repeats, but Soonyoung can’t hear anything besides his jackhammer-heart beating in his chest. 

What should he do? He checks his phone and it’s nearly 8am— maybe if he’s late he’ll have time to break open the locker, and retrieve the letter? No, there are too many people around. And he doesn't know how to break a lock. Or get someone to distract him while he figures it out? Something? Anything? 

He can’t find out. If he finds out about Soonyoung’s crush on Seungcheol, he’ll have too much leverage on Soonyoung, too much power; who knows what he would do with that information. Out of all lockers, out of all people who could have accidentally received the letter, it had to be—

The school bell rings for 8am, and Soonyoung doesn’t even have time to react, because from across the corridor Wonwoo has just arrived. At the red-stickered locker. 

In fight or flight situations, Soonyoung is generally a fighter. But right now, he’s frozen. He can’t move, can only watch from the doorway as Wonwoo pulls out his earphones, slings off his backpack, and opens his locker. 

**Author's Note:**

> part 2 coming very soon!


End file.
